Cato's suicide
event · 2 works · 2 mentions · 2 anchored passages
drove a deadly wound into his body · flung forth his spirit · his death · the event
in the texts
Cato the Younger
Cato's self-inflicted death by the sword at Utica, completed despite his physician's intervention.
But when Butas had gone out, Cato drew his sword from its sheath and stabbed himself below the breast.
Accordingly, when Cato recovered and became aware of this, he pushed the physician away, tore his bowels with his hands, rent the wound still more, and so died.
Letters to Lucilius
The suicide of Cato the Younger at Utica, narrated as a model of defiance of tyranny.
When this had been bound up by the physicians, and he had less blood, less strength, but the same spirit, now angry not only with Caesar but with himself, he thrust his bare hands into the wound, and that noble spirit, that despiser of all power, he did not let go, but flung forth.
Now, since the affairs of the human race are past hope, let Cato be conveyed to safety.